Democracy wins through Gazipur city polls: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday said democracy has won through the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) polls as it was held in a free, fair and peaceful manner.

"Democracy has won through the Gazipur city election and it has been lauded abroad. Awami League did not interfere in the polls to make its candidate win," he said.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, told a rally arranged in front of AL's Bangabandhu avenue central office in Dhaka, protesting the recent death threat to AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He said the countrymen became happy as the election was held in a free, fair and impartial manner.

Like Gazipur city polls, the AL general secretary said, the next national elections and four more city polls will be free, fair and neutral ones.

About the recent death threat to Sheikh Hasina, he said it was not a slip of tongue at all.

After a BNP leader's threat to kill AL President Sheikh Hasina, thousands of voters went in favour of her party and in contrast the popularity of BNP reached to the bottom level, Quader said.

He said the development achieved by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government and good behavior of the AL men will play an important role in the next general elections.

About the US visa policy, the road transport and bridges minister said, "Why will we obstruct the elections? We should oversee who are impeding polls. Those who do not want elections to be held and those who want to restore caretaker government system may obstruct elections."

Quader said it has to be observed whether the new US visa policy will be effective against those who obstruct the elections.

BNP wanted sanction but the US announced visa policy, he said, adding that after noticing this visa policy, BNP leaders have become sleepless.

Claiming that convicted Tarique Rahman is continuously making statements online, the AL general secretary posed a question, "How does a convict make political statement each day? Why doesn't he follow the court's verdict?"

AL Joint General Secretary Dr Dipu Moni, Organising Secretary Mirza Azam and Dhaka South City AL President Abu Ahmed Mannafi and its General Secretary Humayun Kabir, among others, spoke.